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NVDM athlete collection · 22 biomarkers & scores
Comprehensive Liver Function Panel
More than a liver panel.
22 biomarkers and calculated scores · Finger-prick collection.
NVDM pricing shown. Review the final total at checkout.
Your starting point
Who is this for?
For athletes focused on iron stores, unexplained fatigue, metabolic health or following up liver and cholesterol results.
The endurance connection
Why it matters.
Ferritin and iron transport markers make this relevant to endurance. ApoB, lipids and blood sugar broaden the picture. It does not include Hemoglobin, so suspected anemia may require additional testing.
IOC: energy availability and athlete health ↗Know what you’re measuring
Every marker, explained.
Albumin, AST, ALT, GGT, Total Bilirubin, Fasting Glucose, HbA1c, Fasting Insulin, HOMA-IR, LDL, HDL, Triglycerides, VLDL, ApoA1, ApoB, Iron, UIBC, Ferritin, Transferrin Saturation, Fatty Liver Index, Hepatic Steatosis Index, AST:ALT Ratio.
Counts follow the store. Profiles and calculated estimates are labeled separately from individual blood measurements.
| Marker | What it can tell you | Why it matters for an athlete |
|---|---|---|
| AlbuminLiver | A liver-produced protein involved in fluid balance and transport. | Hydration and illness affect interpretation. It is not a direct measure of protein intake. MedlinePlus: liver tests ↗ |
| ASTLiver / muscle | An enzyme present in liver and muscle. | May rise after muscle-damaging exercise. Note recent racing or strength training. Research: exercise can raise AST and ALT ↗ |
| ALTLiver | An enzyme used to assess liver-cell injury. | Hard exercise can also increase ALT, so training history matters. Research: exercise can raise AST and ALT ↗ |
| GGTLiver | An enzyme that contributes to liver and bile-duct assessment. | Alcohol and some medicines can affect it. It is not a direct overtraining marker. MedlinePlus: liver tests ↗ |
| Total BilirubinLiver | A breakdown product from red blood cells, processed by the liver. | An abnormal result needs context including liver function and red-cell breakdown. MedlinePlus: liver tests ↗ |
| Fasting GlucoseBlood sugar | Blood glucose at the time of collection. | Fasting, illness and recent exercise affect the snapshot; it does not measure glycogen stores. NIDDK: HbA1c and the three-month view ↗ |
| HbA1cBlood sugar | Average blood sugar over approximately three months. | Tracks longer-term metabolic health, not race fueling. Iron deficiency and altered red-cell turnover can affect results. NIDDK: HbA1c and the three-month view ↗ |
| Fasting InsulinBlood sugar | Insulin concentration under fasting conditions. | Used with glucose to assess metabolic context, not whether you ate enough carbohydrates for training. NIDDK: HbA1c and the three-month view ↗ |
| HOMA-IRCalculated score | An estimate of insulin resistance derived from fasting insulin and glucose. | Useful metabolic context; not a validated RED-S screen or measure of workout fueling. NIDDK: HbA1c and the three-month view ↗ |
| LDLCholesterol | Cholesterol carried in LDL particles. | Helps assess long-term cardiovascular health. Fitness does not rule out lipid risk; abnormal levels often have no symptoms. MedlinePlus: cholesterol testing ↗ |
| HDLCholesterol | Cholesterol carried in HDL particles. | Helps assess long-term cardiovascular health. Fitness does not rule out lipid risk; abnormal levels often have no symptoms. MedlinePlus: cholesterol testing ↗ |
| TriglyceridesCholesterol | Circulating fats influenced by meals and metabolic health. | Helps assess long-term cardiovascular health. Fitness does not rule out lipid risk; abnormal levels often have no symptoms. MedlinePlus: cholesterol testing ↗ |
| VLDLCholesterol | Cholesterol carried in triglyceride-rich VLDL particles. | Helps assess long-term cardiovascular health. Fitness does not rule out lipid risk; abnormal levels often have no symptoms. MedlinePlus: cholesterol testing ↗ |
| ApoA1Cholesterol | A major protein in HDL particles. | Helps assess long-term cardiovascular health. Fitness does not rule out lipid risk; abnormal levels often have no symptoms. MedlinePlus: cholesterol testing ↗ |
| ApoBCholesterol | A measure related to the number of atherogenic lipoprotein particles. | Helps assess long-term cardiovascular health. Fitness does not rule out lipid risk; abnormal levels often have no symptoms. MedlinePlus: cholesterol testing ↗ |
| IronIron status | Iron circulating in the blood at collection. | Read with the other iron results. Low iron availability can contribute to fatigue and reduced endurance, even before anemia develops. AIS: iron screening and follow-up ↗ |
| UIBCIron status | The unused capacity of iron-binding proteins. | Read with the other iron results. Low iron availability can contribute to fatigue and reduced endurance, even before anemia develops. AIS: iron screening and follow-up ↗ |
| FerritinIron status | A marker of stored iron that can also rise with inflammation. | Read with the other iron results. Low iron availability can contribute to fatigue and reduced endurance, even before anemia develops. AIS: iron screening and follow-up ↗ |
| Transferrin SaturationIron status | The percentage of iron transport capacity occupied by iron. | Read with the other iron results. Low iron availability can contribute to fatigue and reduced endurance, even before anemia develops. AIS: iron screening and follow-up ↗ |
| Fatty Liver IndexCalculated score | A calculated estimate of the likelihood of fatty liver. | Adds liver-health context. This is not a direct scan of liver fat; exercise-related enzyme changes can affect interpretation. MedlinePlus: liver tests ↗ |
| Hepatic Steatosis IndexCalculated score | A calculated screening estimate for fatty liver. | Adds liver-health context. This is not a direct scan of liver fat; exercise-related enzyme changes can affect interpretation. MedlinePlus: liver tests ↗ |
| AST:ALT RatioCalculated score | A comparison of the two enzyme results. | Adds liver-health context. This is not a direct scan of liver fat; exercise-related enzyme changes can affect interpretation. MedlinePlus: liver tests ↗ |
Baseline · Build · Follow-up
Make testing part of your season.
This is a planning framework for a 12–16-week build. Your results and symptoms determine whether you need an earlier check.
01
Before the build
Collect during a recovered, representative week before increasing training. This gives you a comparison point.
02
During a 12–16-week build
If symptoms develop or previous results were borderline, arrange a targeted check with enough time to act before race week.
03
Between training blocks
Review the trend after recovery. Repeat the markers that answer your next question; a full panel is not automatically needed each time.
How often should you retest?
- Iron statusHigher-risk endurance athletes may benefit from quarterly iron screening. Following prescribed oral iron treatment, a repeat around 8–12 weeks can assess response; earlier follow-up may be needed for anemia or symptoms. AIS: iron screening and follow-up ↗
- Average blood sugarAllow roughly three months to assess a longer-term HbA1c trend. It cannot show whether yesterday’s fueling was enough. NIDDK: HbA1c and the three-month view ↗
New or persistent symptoms deserve assessment between scheduled tests. There is no universal quarterly requirement for every marker.
A result worth comparing
Before you collect.
- Follow your kit instructionsUse the collection and fasting instructions supplied with your kit. Drink water normally; do not arrive dehydrated or deliberately overhydrate.
- Record your contextNote collection time, recent training, illness, sleep, medications and supplements. Do not stop prescribed medication without advice.
- Choose a representative dayFor a resting comparison, avoid collecting immediately after a race, hard workout, overnight travel or while acutely ill. Wait until sleep and hydration are back to your usual pattern.
- Keep the days before iron testing easyAIS recommends low to moderate activity in the prior 24 hours and avoiding muscle-damaging exercise for 2–3 days. Follow the kit’s fasting instructions.
- Tell your clinician about muscle sorenessAST and ALT can remain elevated for a week or more after unusual muscle-damaging exercise. A fixed 48-hour gap does not guarantee a resting baseline.
Turn results into a next step.
Bring your results together with training load, fueling, symptoms and any supplements. Choose one clear action with your clinician or sports dietitian, then agree which markers to repeat and when.
Persistent fatigue, missing periods, recurrent bone stress injuries or unexpectedly abnormal results need clinical follow-up. A normal panel does not rule out RED-S or explain every change in performance.
Evidence and further reading
- NIDDK: HbA1c and the three-month view ↗
- Research: exercise can raise AST and ALT ↗
- AIS: iron screening and follow-up ↗
- MedlinePlus: cholesterol testing ↗
- MedlinePlus: liver tests ↗
- IOC: energy availability and athlete health ↗
These sources explain the biomarkers and testing context. They do not validate these specific kits as a diagnosis of RED-S or a guarantee of improved performance.